Luxury sports Car for 180k to 250k

[Cerano]

Actually, I am quite a fan of 335i as well, there's also the 335ix, but not sure if its been brought to Sunny Singapore.

 

But m3 just looks better with the wider body & side scoops.

 

hmm what is the 335ix?

 

i only know that 335 is one of the most moddable rides around...

[Qes78]

i wouldnt recommend a cayman/boxter or a E350...

 

if you want performance not badging you shouldnt go with those... lotus would be a very wise choice

 

I agree totally with you on that. Any idea on re-sale value though?

[Qes78]

literally a go-kart with a toyota engine at 200k? no thanks

 

once you've experienced the impeccable build quality of these german cars you never want to look back, unless of course its a weekend track car.

 

for a DD, luxurious performance is what its all about

 

There's always a compromise I guess. A nice Dr jekyll and My hyde kinda car would be great, but life's a b***h and then some.

 

I've owned german before, but i have to say, their 'build quality" has gone down the hill as compared to the days when engineers ruled the day vs accountants and marketing guys.

[Qes78]

The BMW 135i Coupe is considered by many to be a great track car. Just search out some of the reviews. And with just some light mods and ECU tweaks, you'd be track ready without the too much compromise on luxury and overall FC. Here are the specs in stock trim:

 

BMW 1 Series Coupe 135i Specifications

 

Engine:

Engine capacity 2,979 cc

Engine type 6-cylinder in-line 4-valve twin turbo

Compression ratio 10.2

Bore x Stroke (84.0 x 89.6) mm

Power 306 bhp

Torque 400 Nm

 

Performance:

Acceleration 5.7s (0-100kmh)

Top speed 250kmh

Fuel consumption 10.4 km\L

 

Sub 5 secs 0-100 time? You betcha!

 

The Exige however, would trounce it!! But it'd take a somewhat talented man behind the wheel to beat you!

I agree. The car comes in a very nice package indeed.I'm not sure though, how 'raw' the car would feel.

[Qes78]

Haha... track in your garden... with fish ponds as waterfalls... nice thought!!

 

cheers

buckets of water mayhaps.....no fish ponds in my garden

[Thaiyotakamli]

how bout e250 coupe??

[Qes78]

true

 

thats why i said 335i.

 

and the gap from 335-M3 is kinda big

 

besides an M3 cannot catch up with a modded 335i at all on straight lines

one thing i've learnt over the years. There will always be a faster car in the straight lines. Wherever you are and whatever car you drive, there will always be something faster out there. Until one day, when fuel prices are waaaayyy out of reach, i've found it rather pointless to make ur car, faster than something else out there.

 

Now i think the question lies in:

how to enjoy the drive, even at low speeds, not only at license-suspension speeds

how to feel, control and master the car, and not let fancy electronics work for you to make u look superhuman

how to always feel that ur chassis can use more power, but not crave for it; as opposed to having the power to overcome a poorly designed chassis

 

Read an article somewhere about manufacturers piling on heaps and heaps of power and fancy electronics in order to get around poor designs based on cost cutting measures dictated by accountants (no offence meant to any accountants)

Kind of like taking a really ugly girl and putting on lotsa make up and nice clothes: when it's time to head to bed and it all comes off, the underneath is still ugly: perhaps the effort should have been on character building instead? ok, poor analogy, but u get the gist....

Not a big fan of macpherson struts nor the fancy multi-links: personally, i;m a big sucker for the classic dbl wishbones. LAst few (affordable) cars I know offhand who used to manufacture cars with all round dbl wishbones: civic EG, Mazda Mx-5, Toyota Altezza.....

[Soonmunn]

Any suggestions for a new sports car in the 180k to 250k range?

 

BMW e92 M3 coupe is the ultimate but its way above SGD250k from PI. For $250k u can try for e92 335i twin turbo

 

Similar car is Audi S5, Mercedes E Class Coupe

 

The cheapest is the Nissan 370z. But between that and 350z u might as well get the 350z from a PI. Its cheaper and almost same performance. But this will lack the elegance and refinement of the BM e92 and only sits 2.

 

Or u can try a BMW Z4.....

 

 

[Xspace]

For this $, A5 or pre-owned S5 for me ...

[Zangetsu77]

Have always loved the Godzillas, but apparently the new 35s are quite heavy drinkers and with all controls set on 'R' for launch, the clutch can only take it 6 times before needing to be replaced. Power comes with heavy sacrifice i suppose.

 

Which would be the 'raw-est' car in this category? I'm not big on fancy electronics...

 

1. Stock R35 - can manage at 7-8 km/L of V-power if you are light on the throttle. Achieved that at times during the run-in period. Now averaging at 6km/L.

 

2. Launch-ing is never recommended. By launching, i mean rev-ving up in neutral before engaging the clutch. One bad launch and your transmission may blow. Besides, you launch with VDC off and the others in R-mode.

 

3. 0-100 at 4.0 s in the stock car, do-able and replicable time and again in the stock car. The throttle response is instant, feels like NA.

 

4. GTRs locally pushing out 1100NM of torque after mods on stock transmission still kicking and alive, and functioning like brand new. Launching is not necessary to out-run stock super-cars at this state of tune. The gearbox is not so fragile.

[Zangetsu77]

335i can be easily chipped and boosted heavily to be a 4s or so car

 

It's tough to do 4.0s flat on a RWD or FWD cos no matter how high the torque, loss of traction becomes a limiting factor, and which is why the RWD AMG Mercs don't have so "impressive' 0-100 timings, but it's really the "real world" driveability and speed that distinguishes them...

 

[Zangetsu77]

true

 

thats why i said 335i.

 

and the gap from 335-M3 is kinda big

 

besides an M3 cannot catch up with a modded 335i at all on straight lines

 

Met a modded M3 once - decat quad exhaust, hints of forced induction on the V8, white body with dual air-vents on the bonnet (GTR style) and heavily tinted windows. That's easily a 700HP beast pushing 1000NM of torque, so don't pray pray...

[Cerano]

It's tough to do 4.0s flat on a RWD or FWD cos no matter how high the torque, loss of traction becomes a limiting factor, and which is why the RWD AMG Mercs don't have so "impressive' 0-100 timings, but it's really the "real world" driveability and speed that distinguishes them...

 

correct. they often wheelspin into 2nd gear.

 

but a burnout usually fixes this problem. either that or slicks/drag radials on the track and maybe >265 width

 

GTRs do not have this problem.

 

so far the fastest C63 can do 0-100 in 3.2s

[Cerano]

Met a modded M3 once - decat quad exhaust, hints of forced induction on the V8, white body with dual air-vents on the bonnet (GTR style) and heavily tinted windows. That's easily a 700HP beast pushing 1000NM of torque, so don't pray pray...

 

wah M3 go turbo of course la!!

 

but for the price 335i can go like 500-600hp is value for $$$

[Thaiyotakamli]

by the way dont buy super fast car, have u read the news? a ferrari burnt and a week later a ferrari catch fire in engine. all in sg!!

[Smhomie]

Met a modded M3 once - decat quad exhaust, hints of forced induction on the V8, white body with dual air-vents on the bonnet (GTR style) and heavily tinted windows. That's easily a 700HP beast pushing 1000NM of torque, so don't pray pray...

 

Maybe talking about the same M3. Is the car plate # 833? If yes, then cannot be turbocharged. Decat I believe, why? Because I was at a workshop two doors away and 3 policemen came to check under the bonnet, stayed for 15 mins then went away. Dunno what happened after that but car was still around three days later when I went back to my workshop to collect my car. So I don't think it has FI beneath it, no one I know has the balls to FI M3 yet because they are afraid to blown up the engine They talk only

[Zangetsu77]

Maybe talking about the same M3. Is the car plate # 833? If yes, then cannot be turbocharged. Decat I believe, why? Because I was at a workshop two doors away and 3 policemen came to check under the bonnet, stayed for 15 mins then went away. Dunno what happened after that but car was still around three days later when I went back to my workshop to collect my car. So I don't think it has FI beneath it, no one I know has the balls to FI M3 yet because they are afraid to blown up the engine They talk only

 

Yeah possibly, only met this car once on the road. Why policemen checking? In light of the recent STA incidents? Supposedly related to a batch of BMWs running on swapped engines. Got some Ferraris locally running on superchargers, and recently Novitec Rosso also advertised in Torque or Motoring magazine their after-market Ferrari kit - "LTA compliant"

[Qes78]

thanks.